Are smart toys safe for kids?
Guidance for parents and carers
If you are planning to buy a smart toy that uses AI or can connect to Bluetooth or the internet, here are a couple of things to think about to keep your child safe.
4 questions to ask before buying a smart toy
Make sure you fully understand how it interacts with your child as well as with other devices. For example, can it send messages to a smartphone or connect to a smart TV? Does it talk to your child using AI? What does it say?
Explore how much data it collects from your child, including their personal information like name, age or email address. If it uses AI, read up on the privacy policy to see whether your child’s information is saved and used in any way such as improving the product.
If the smart toy communicates with your child using AI, check what kind of interactions this includes — are they appropriate for your child? Could it lead to confusion?
And if the toy uses other features like a camera or voice recorder while connecting to the internet, make sure you check who has access to this information.
Check whether the smart toy uses a monthly subscription service to access enhanced features. Some toys might allow a free option which only provides basic features. In this case, new features might be behind a paywall. This means your child could lose interest in the toy unless you commit to regular payments, which could become expensive.
What is a smart toy?
A smart toy is a product designed for children which uses connected technology in some way. This might look like using artificial intelligence (AI) for communication and responsiveness. Or it could simply look like connecting to the internet and connecting to a smartphone.
Children like the idea of smart toys because it uses a technology they might not yet have full access to. Just like simple toys that move by themselves like backflipping dogs or wind-up cars, smart toys offer a new kind of play experience.
Are smart toys safe for kids?
The level of safety varies between smart toys. It depends on the company which created the product, their privacy policies and which smart features are used within the toy.
For example, the STEM robot, Cooper, boasts ‘screen-free coding’ and does not seem to collect children’s information so could be considered safe.
On the other hand, research from Cambridge University explored one AI chatbot toy called Gabbo. They found that it didn’t always hit the mark when it came to communicating with under-5s. For example, when a child said ‘I love you’ to the chatbot, it responded with a safeguarding message that a child would struggle to understand.
That’s why it’s important to do your research and understand how a smart toy can impact your child’s safety and wellbeing. If you do buy a smart toy, supervise use and perhaps use it together to start with.
Tips for using smart toys safely
- Use smart toys together. Until you’re confident that there are no hidden risks, use new smart toys together.
- Supervise play. If you let your child use smart toys independently, make sure it’s in a shared area such as the living room or kitchen so that you can supervise their experience.
- Talk about your child’s experience. Before, during or after play, ask your child about their playtime. What do they enjoy? Is anything strange or frustrating? Encourage them to come to you if they ever have questions.
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